Pages

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

54. Arabic Coffee

Arabic coffee is a bitter infusion of lightly roasted coffee beans and cardamom. It is a form of hospitality, welcoming visitors to your abode. It is often accompanied with something sweet, generally dates, to balance out the bitterness of the coffee. It is served from a specially shaped coffee pot called a dalla, and the cups are short and stout and without handles. The cup is filled only half way when presented, because the idea is merely to flavor the buccal cavity.

Ingredients:(cup measurements are used in the Arabic coffee cups, not the traditional Western cups)

Put all ingredients in a large kettle and return to boil.
Once boiling, reduce to a light simmer and simmer covered for 15 minutes.
Remove from fire and let rest for 1-2 minutes to allow the solids to settle.
Without stirring the kettle, pour the coffee into the dalla thermos and seal tight to preserve the heat.
Serve with some dates.